domenica 22 marzo 2009

Glenn Hauser logs March 22, 2009

** CHINA. Firedrake check March 22 at 1323: poor on 9000, seemingly mixing with other audio, Sound of Hope itself? Not heard on 8400 or 9300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDIA. 9425, AIR National Channel from Bengaluru, with very distorted modulation March 22 at 1326. Is no one paying attention at the transmitter site? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** MEXICO. XERF, 1570, UT Sunday March 22 at 0522 with CST timecheck, many informal IDs as ``La Poderosa 15-70``, and show called ``Palomitas de Papel``, reading notes from listeners who are searching for lost friends and relatives, giving contact phone numbers and mailing addresses, mostly P O boxes in Texas. Referred to it being on every Saturday night; 0530 played some dove and other bird chirps, full ID as XERF, a public radio station of IMER, election PSAs from the government, and into another show.

What does the name mean? Paloma is dove, and palomita makes it diminutive, but the word also means pigeon, so apparently alludes to little paper notes sent by messenger pigeon, but a toll-free phone number was also announced. Here`s the website blurb about it from
http://www.lapoderosa.imer.com.mx/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=121:

``Sinopsis: Escucha este foro abierto para la expresión popular, que se alimenta con las cartas del auditorio. La temática es libre, con sólo dos limitantes; no se permite el proselitismo religioso ni político. 
 
Emisora: XERF, La Poderosa, 1570 AM
Días de Transmisión: Sábado
Horario: 22:30 a 23:30 horas [0430-0530 UT Sun, 0330-0430 from Apr 12]
Contenido Específico: Migrantes
Género: Orientación
Responsable: Carmén Rodríguez``

She is also identified as locutora, but tonight`s host was an OM, certainly not Carmén. He was reading all the messages, no listener voices heard.

I can`t find a program schedule grid on the website; instead an alfabetical list of shows by title and you have to click on each one to find when it`s aired:
http://www.lapoderosa.imer.com.mx/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=121
I am not at all sure it is complete; lacking e.g. ``La Victrola`` which once aired UT Thursdays at 0200-0400 and needs to be reconfirmed.
 
XERF generally on top of 1570 but lots of co-channel QRM, a fine example of the travesty which the NARBAns have been made of the clear-channel concept (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TINIAN. Yet another discrepancy report on the 7575 IBB transmitter: Sunday March 22 at 1320 in VOA Jazz America show, with BFO on, could tell the carrier was slightly unstable, but worse, a continuous het. During talk segment, as best I could tell, there were matching `carriers` at slightly more than 1 kHz on both sides of the main carrier, and thus a modulation defect rather than external interference (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** TURKEY [and non]. Altho VOT fails to broadcast in English as scheduled via Sackville 7325 at 0400, the webcast funxions properly, so I brought it up for the so-called DX Corner, UT Sunday March 22 at 0420. I missed a bit since it had already started, but Seref Isler spent the rest of the program reading reception reports and commenting on them, promising QSL cards for even the most perfunctory reports.

He also recited the current English schedule once again, including 7325. Apparently he is ignoring my direct notification to the English Desk that it has not been showing up since the beginning of March! Just to be sure, I tuned in 7325 at 0432, and sure enough, that was still in Turkish, but no Greenville/Martí spurblob like the night before (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Had not heard any sign of KJES on 11715 for a week or more, but Sunday March 22 at 1350 check, it was on at S9+20, somewhat undermodulated but sufficient, unlike some previous logs. No robokids this time, but instead one adult OM reciting verses, immediately repeated by another adult OM, e.g.: ``May God rain burning coals upon them! --- May God rain burning coals upon them!`` What a nice thought. Frequently referred to Yahweh, which I am sure R. C. Pope Benedict XVI would not approve of; further reinforcing that KJES tho nominally Catholic is run by a wacky splinter group (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** VENEZUELA [non]. Sunday March 22 chex of the Aló, Presidente service via CUBA: 11875 open carrier already on the air at 1342, along with lite crackle, perhaps cross-mod from one of their nearby jammers. Modulation finally brought up at 1405 with program in progress, Bárbara Betancourt speaking. BTW, she is 51 years old this week, as one of the birthday babes mentioned on En Contacto, the RHC Spanish DX program at 1335 on 12000 et al.

At 1405 checked other A,P frequencies: // 13750 underway, much weaker 13680 also audible and echoing against 13750 audio, so from different transmitter site. 11690 also echoed against 13750 and 11875, and totally overrode HCJB, producing no more than a SAH, but HCJB is always weak here on this frequency, aimed oppositely from 11960. At 1407 found the fifth A,P channel 17750 definitely on the air with strong open carrier, but no mod, a good idea, since it kept dumping off the air multiple times, and when on was noisy. Finally at 1419 some modulation started to appear fitfully, also cutting on and off, and more or less stayed on from 1421. Final check at 1436 found it still going but distorted, in pre-show from Habana prior to expected appearance of the crybaby himself.

That alludes to a very interesting C-SPAN2 show I watched the night before by someone who had written a book highly critical of Chávez, maintaining that he is a much bigger threat to the US than it seems, and we ignore him at our peril. He`s a bully while he has power, but cried when he lost power, has kidnapped Venezuela. Worth considering even tho tainted by Heritage Foundation sponsorship.

Here`s the BookTV blurb about it at
http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=10290&SectionName=&PlayMedia=No

``THE THREAT CLOSER TO HOME: HUGO CHÁVEZ AND THE WAR AGAINST AMERICA
Watch now! [yes, there is video and audio on demand:]
http://www.booktv.org/watch.aspx?ProgramId=FV-10290
 
About the Program: A political consultant who lived and worked in Venezuela presents a critical look at the rule of Hugo Chávez. Commentary is provided by Otto Reich, former U.S. Ambasssador to Venezuela and Assistant Secretary of State. This event was hosted by the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC.

About the Author --- Michael Rowan is a political consultant for U.S. and Latin American leaders. He has advised former Bolivian president Jaime Paz Zamora and Costa Rican president Oscar Arias. Mr. Rowan is a former president of the International Association of Political Consultants.`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###